Maid in Manhattan. Just watched it for the first time. Yeah, I'm a late bloomer. It only came out, like, nine years ago, ok? So I'm really not *that* far behind.
Anyway, I loved it. Truthfully, the only reason I watched it was because my sister had to watch it as part of her homework. Her language arts class is focusing on different social classes or something like that. No, she isn't here. I usually do her homework for her (when it's the fun stuff, like watching these movies, or MATH. I LOVE MATH!), but don't tell her teacher. Please.
It's probably because I have a new-found love for Jennifer Lopez. I mean, I have always been a fan of her music and everything, but just recently I have begun to admire her for more than just her vocal talent.
You see, Josh's family is IN LOVE with American Idol, and for those of you crazy fools that don't know, Jennifer Lopez is one of the judges this season. Since his family loves the show, I have also become pretty hooked. I won't lie.
I've always liked her music, and always have thought she was a stunning lady. After watching American Idol this year, I can see how BIG of a heart she has. Sometimes, I wish I was as caring. Not that I'm an un-caring person or anything. Of course not. But seriously, other celebrities (and people who aren't famous) try to put on this front to (try to) make themselves look like they're all about stopping animal cruelty, helping homeless people get jobs, volunteering in third-world countries, and donating to charities to try to make themselves look like they're better than everyone else. I don't know, she just seems like the kind of person I want to be, honest and up front with everyone, beautiful on the inside and out (alright, I know, I've already mastered this part!), and REAL.
I've always had a strong dislike toward those people who are all about monetary things, trying to show off, trying to act as if they are better than everyone else. I kind of feel like I am surrounded by these people at work and outside of work too. It has made me kind of feel like I need to measure up to these people to show them that I am just as good as they are, and I'm pretty sure it hasn't had a positive effect on me.
Of course, I do care (a little bit) about what other people think about me, but I've never cared enough to try to change myself or anything like that. But I have noticed that I have been doing exactly what I hate, trying to make myself look better than someone else when I'm really not.
I used to work at a call center for a cell phone company. Pay was $9.25 an hour, and you got bonuses based on your sales performance. For only one year of college under my belt, and at age 18 and fresh out of high school, this was a pretty nice-paying job. Unless I wanted to work at McDonald's. But I didn't think that was the kind of job for me. I made tons of friends, a lot of whom I still am in contact with. I also learned customer service skills, and sales skills too.
After working for the company for about a year and a half, I got sick of it and decided I wanted to look elsewhere. I'm pretty lazy, so It really took me 6 months from that point to actually land a new job. A few of my friends I worked with had gotten hired at a different company. An insurance company. And they made BANK compared to my job. Especially since I really didn't try to make sales so I never ended up with bonuses. And since I really disliked my position in the company I would always call in to work. Never again will I do that.
Back to my story. So, I decided to apply for a job at this insurance company. It was down the road from my parents' house, which meant if I could secure a position there I could see my family more. Also, with a higher pay, I would be able to afford the things I wanted, instead of just scraping by and only being able to hardly afford the things I needed. I gave it a shot, and applied for a position in the claims department.
I received a call a few days later for a phone interview, and I passed. I was offered an on-site interview for the following Wednesday, which I was completely nervous for. Wednesday came around, and the nerves got to me. I ended up wearing WAY too much makeup (why did I think that would be impressive?). I was really fidgety and you could hear my voice tremble with all of the answers I would give the interviewer, Nicole. I really wanted to sound super smart, like the perfect candidate, and made up answers I thought they would like to hear, rather than what MANDY would answer. I'm pretty sure this impacted Nicole's decision not to hire me. And because the company will conduct hundreds of interviews and choose to hire only a small handful of people. Me being fake may have stood out, but negatively.
I was pretty bummed that I would continue to live on a small salary. My friend that I worked with at the cell phone company was in the insurance company's newest training class. She told me that this insurance company was hiring for the department she was just hired for, and urged me to apply. I filled out an application, and to be honest, I was kind of hopeless. I had been turned down once before, so it may just end up happening again, right?
This entire time, Josh was so great. He asked me interview questions, and told me to answer them how MANDY would, not how someone trying too desperately would. He gave me pointers, and was my cheerleader the entire way. He knew how unhappy I was at the cell phone company, and supported me and guided me through this potential new job process. His love and his help are what really helped me have more hope and believe that I could do it.
A few days after I submitted my application for this second position, I received a phone call. It was for a phone interview. Using the advice Josh gave me during our "practice interviews", I passed my second phone interview. They scheduled an on-site interview for me the following Wednesday (yes, again, on a Wednesday). Josh continued to help me with my wording, and helping me focus on who I am instead of who I thought an employer would want me to be.
Wednesday rolled around, and I felt as ready as I ever would for this interview. Keeping Josh in the back of my mind, I walked in the building. I met Becky, the woman who interviewed me. Just the way she spoke and her mannerisms made me feel comfortable, that I didn't have to put on a mask. I could just be MANDY. She had me take a computer test, and then once I finished she grabbed another manager, Mike, so we could have our face-to-face interview.
They were both a lot of fun to talk to. They would ask me about my life (not necessarily pertaining to the job, which made me feel like I could relax just a little bit), like my goals, family, where do I see myself in 5 years, et cetera. Mike would also joke around, and both he and Becky both had smiles on their faces during the entire interview process. After the interview, I felt like I was on top of the world. Josh helped me get through it, and I really don't think that I could have done it without him.
When I left the interview, I was told that I would be contacted either by phone or by email about the job. After a few days, I was starting to get worried because I didn't have any missed calls or unread emails. Finally, on my 20th birthday, I received a phone call from the woman I had my phone interview with. She said that Mike and Becky thought my interview went well, and she offered me the job. You have NO idea how excited I was! She didn't know it, but I was literally jumping up and down, spinning in circles, and did a back flip over my mom's couch while I was still on the phone accepting this job offer. I'm not even kidding. I don't think I could have been more happy, especially since this was all happening on my 20th birthday!
I told my mom and my sisters and my dad, and they were all happy for me. I was happy for me too. Josh was happy for me. The world was just full of happiness that day. I felt like the sun was shining just for me on that day. I'm pretty sure that it was really just shining for me.
Fast forward about 3 months, after I learned all of my training, after I started getting paychecks, after I had been at my new job for a few months. I was making about twice as much money as I did at the cell phone company, my job was just as easy, and I befriended a new group of people that was COMPLETELY different than the friends I made at the cell phone company job I had previously.
Now, Josh works at this cell phone company. A different department than I did, but the same company. I made a little bit more than he did now (since he had received three promotions in his 2 years there, he made more than the standard starting wage at $9.25 per hour), and I started acting like I was better than the "low life" people that still worked there. I don't know exactly what I did. Maybe it was my attitude. Maybe it was the way I talked about how much I hated the place. I'm not sure. But Josh pointed out to me that I used to be one of those people, and I didn't just become "better" now that I made more money.
That really got to me, and I realize how right he was. And how I was becoming that kind of person that, as I mentioned earlier, I really disliked. Someone who thought they were better than everyone else, all about monetary things, always trying to show off that I had a better job. BLAH BLAH BLAH.
Now that I have had a taste of the "dark side", I realize how stupid it feels to act that way. To act like you're superior. It's the worst feeling. I had to become myself again. I had to become honest again. I had to remember that I used to be that person working for $9.25 to try and make a living. Just like Jennifer Lopez, I had to work to get where I am now, and it wasn't by being fake. It was by being me. Being REAL. Being MANDY.
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